There in a Flash
by Writer of the Storm
Summary: After the mysterious and tragic disappearance of Central City's favorite citizen, a former defender must return to ensure peace and justice still stand. As heartbroken as Wally 'Kid Flash' West is over the loss of his mentor, the young speedster must overcome all on his path of what will be the ultimate hero's journey to prove he is the right man to be called Central City's hero.


**Disclaimer: I don't own any characters on display in this story. All intellectual properties belong to DC Comics. No copyright infringement is intended.**

* * *

 **PROLOGUE:**

Many years ago, a few decades after the start of the Atomic Age, a string of events signaled what was to be the beginning of a phenomena. All across the world, several different people with seemingly no connections whatsoever came to the attention of the general public. What made these people so noteworthy was they all had some sort of extraordinary abilities that most did not. These abilities, generally classified later on as superpowers, came in all sorts of varieties.

Some had the strength to lift whole trains like they were a baby's playing blocks. Some could look through solid objects such as walls, doors, and even the biggest and thickest of mountains, among other things. Some could manipulate the environments around them, be it changing the weather or even affecting the air. Some could read the minds of others or even get them to do something against their own will. Then there were some that could fly higher into the sky than even the most advanced military jet fighter. Then there were some people who even had more than one superpower with any varying combinations.

No one could point to one single source for an explanation as to why these extraordinary people started showing up. Nor could anyone explain why so many of these superpowered beings appeared at the same time. There was no one common denominator; these people all came from different backgrounds in terms of life experiences, lives led, and even how they got their powers. One of the biggest similarities they all had in common, however, was that over time they decided since they had these superpowers...they should use them. A large portion of these gifted beings felt a burning desire to use their enhanced (some would say even god-like) abilities to help those in need.

Innocent people who felt unsafe, like they needed more protection, who felt helpless and weak would soon get many a different guardian angel to watch over them. However, these guardians would not look like just some guy off the street (at least not all of them). The mass majority dressed themselves up in all sorts of fancy, multi-colored garb that covered their whole body, including their faces. These masks and costumes started out only as a means to hide the secret identities of those who wore them to keep their real lives and everyone in them safe. They did not want any possible consequences of their heroics to affect any they might care about, someone in their personal lives they held so dear to them.

While that remained a consistent concern, as time went on the costumes seemed to become much more. The need for secrecy of their true identity would almost never go away for the majority of these costumed crime fighters. Yet as their crime fighting antics went on, most costumed individuals began to see their outfits more and more like their official uniforms in a way. Most of them saw themselves in a new light, like they were always meant to become these defenders of the innocent. But it was not just the people wearing these outfits who started to see themselves differently, but many of those who saw them in their costumes as well. To most of the people, the outfits became like a beacon, a symbol of hope, a bright light in the darkest of hours.

The era of superheroes had become official...but with it brought a darker sub-era. Not everyone who had such great gifts chose to use them for the greater good. Many of them decided to go the opposite route and use them to hurt others or for any sort of personal gain they saw fit to take. Superheroes had arrived, but they brought with them many a dangerous super villain. Since then both sides have consistently come into conflict with one another like it were a tale of destiny from an old Greek myth.

Because of the constant influx on both sides, it wasn't uncommon for superheroes to team up with one another or super villains to do the same. Eventually official teams were formed on both sides, many of which would see their fair share of ups and downs. Some are merely two person teams, three at the max, be it permanent or on again/off again. Commonly among these groups is the main hero, the older veteran with more experience and their younger teammates they took under their wing known as sidekicks. These types of teams typically stayed local to their own cities or states and rarely went outside their borders unless it was completely necessary.

Then there were the big league teams made of well-known, some would say even famous superheroes from all across the globe. As time went on they would add all sorts of members. Some not so well-known heroes who would be secondary members while the original members would act as supervising leaders. But no matter how one might go about being a superhero, be it as a team member, a sidekick, or a solo act, most of them agreed on one thing above all others. The innocent must always be protected from the wicked no matter what the cost...even if it was the heroes' own lives.

Many have made such a sacrifice before and there were several others who'd be just as willing to do it if they had to. Some did so freely knowing there would always be someone to take their place. Or at least it was always very likely someone would. But who it would be was always a mystery. Would it be a newcomer who appears seemingly our of nowhere? Or would it be someone from that fallen hero's past? Perhaps it would be a one-off partner stepping in to fill the void. Or maybe it could be a sidekick ascending to the next level they might've been groomed for since they got started.

Whatever the answer might've been, one thing was for certain; the innocent would always need a hero. But the hardships, trials, and tribulations to become that hero might be tougher than anyone could possible imagine. That's coming from a physical, emotional, and even a mental standpoint. Is it always worth it? No one can ever be sure at first, but for many who take this hero's journey, it very much is. That's especially after everything that goes into such a journey.

* * *

 **CHAPTER 1:**

 **GRANITE FALLS, TITANS TOWER, APRIL 26TH, 11:03PM:**

Within the main living/recreational area in the middle of the top section of the T shaped tower, a fun time was being had. Three fifths of the team of Teen Titans this tower had been assigned to were having a night on the town. The remaining two members of the team decided to have a stay at home date night. The results of said date night were scattered all over the front room in the forms of half eaten snacks, partially drank sodas, opened comics books, pillows, all that and more. It may have been a messy scene, but, for the moment, that mattered little to the teen couple trying to enjoy their night.

One of these teens was a rather handsome, red headed young man who was wearing white boxers and a yellow t-shirt and white boxers. This showed off his nearly ideal runner's physique, looking very lean and even lengthy. He was also a little tall for his age and had blue eyes most girls and even some guys would probably love to get lost in. However, those eyes only had sights for the girl this boy was enjoying his not with.

This pretty young girl had grayish skin and light pink hair that was shaped like a horseshoe, sticking out just a little bit at the tips. She also wore metallic black hair bands near the top of her hair, which didn't match the rest of her outfit she was wearing, which usually wasn't the case. At that moment, she was dressed more modestly than her boyfriend, wearing yellow pajamas with _Hello Kitties_ plastered all over them. Her eyes matched her hair color, with pupils shaped like a cat's and she even had small, oval shaped, pink cheek blushes. Unique as she may appear, many would agree this girl was a sight for the ages...except for right then and there.

"Hold still, Wally!" Jenna Ferlay exclaimed playfully before leaping over the couch.

The pillow she held was raised high above her head with the intent of swinging it down upon her chosen target. However, like many times before, her would be opponent seemed to disappear before she was anywhere near close enough to hit him. Feeling both disappointed and aggravated, Jenna stared where her foe once stood before groaning in exasperation. Then, she started looking around for him.

"Hold still?" a voice called out. "Now what fun would that be?"

The pink haired teen turned to where she thought the voice came from and saw the one she was after. He was standing only a few feet away with his hands on his hips as he smugly smiled.

"It'd be a lot more fun for me," Jenna said in a clearly annoyed tone with underlying hints of amusement still mixed in.

The boy in this scenario was none other than Wally West, better known to the world as the speeding superhero, Kid Flash. "Really?" Wally said questioningly. "You mean you actually feel the need to try and hit me with a pillow? it's not enough for you that you get the pleasure of seeing me... in my night clothes?" Wally had put a frisky tone into his voice when saying his last few words as he raised an eyebrow.

"Oh, please," Jenna replied as she rolled her eyes. Although, while she'd never admit it out loud, she did, indeed, like what she saw.

As Kid Flash, Wally West was remembered fondly for being the sidekick to the more well established hero known the world over as the Flash, who was actually his uncle, Barry Allen. Despite years having gone by, it didn't feel like too long ago for Wally when he had amicably left the Scarlet Speedster's side to make a name for himself. Not too long after that, he'd actually ended up joining his own team of superheroes not dissimilar to the one his uncle was a part of, that being the legendary Justice League. More specifically, Wally had joined his own team of Teen Titans, spun off from the original team, which some had compared to almost being like a junior version of the League. That sentiment was felt all the more strongly when the Titans went global, putting teams all over the world as the League had also done before them.

Wally West was a proud member of one of those teams who had all been setup to help fight crime on a global scale for the cause of the greater good. Rather than fighting crime at that moment, though, Wally was instead having to fight back from busting into a fit of laughter at how much he was pushing his girlfriend's buttons.

"You know," Jenna said, "I was actually having a good time at first when you goaded me into this silly game. But now you're sucking all the fun out of it."

"How?" Wally asked defensively.

"By using your powers to cheat. But that still won't be enough to keep me from smacking you a good one!"

Jenna Ferlay, better known to the world as the villain turned superhero, Jinx, ran at Wally again and tried to swing her pillow at him. But like all the other times before, he was easily able to run out of harm's way. This infuriated Jenna to the point where her cat-like eyes actually started to glow. This signaled her inner desire to start using her own powers like Wally was doing. Luckily the sane part of her was still in control and did everything it could to keep it that way.

She may have been getting a hothead, but Jenna didn't truly want to use her powers. Many had likened said powers to witches' black magic spreading bad luck, though their true origin was unknown. She knew it would end very badly and having her lose control and wreck the front room of her team's tower was definitely something she did not want. Besides her not wanting to seem crazy, although she herself had doubts about that sometimes, she knew it would be frowned upon by her team. It would make her feel bad to do just about anything her team, all of whom she was proud to call friends, didn't care for. That's especially after all they've done for her.

This included when all of the heroes in the Titans organization gave a big turn the other way about Jenna's past criminal activities after she decided to go straight. It helped her cause even more when Wally West as Kid Flash, the former sidekick of a well-known and respected superhero, personally vouched for her. While she still had some underlying desires to be a bad girl, Jenna forced all of them down, preferring the name Jinx to belong to a hero. She refused to give into temptations and instead turned her life around, dedicating it to being a hero in the Teen Titans and fighting for good.

That didn't change the fact, however, that Wally's cheating and mocking was pushing her over the edge. But she knew she had to dial back her growing aggravation just a little bit. With that in mind, Jenna managed to calm herself and make her eyes return to normal. Although she still looked annoyed when she turned to her boyfriend.

"Typical," Jenna said. "Only you would have us play a game where the whole point is for you to avoid me."

"Oh, come on now," Wally said in a mocking attempt to look and sound innocent. "You know I'd never really avoid you. It's just that...well, you're really cute when you're annoyed. Especially with me."

Jenna allowed her emotions to overtake her once more as she growled and her eyes started to flash pink.

"That's it!" Jenna exclaimed. "You are gonna get a good bonk on the head and you're gonna like it! Or at least I will!"

"Oh, my," Wally said mockingly like a frightened child.

With that, Jenna took off after Wally, who continued to run all over to avoid getting hit in the head by the pillow his aggravated and determined girlfriend swung. He would stop and hold still only for a second before whizzing by the girl who, though she was crazy about him, he was driving crazy in the worst sense. With each missed swing it became less of a playful game for Jenna and more like a mission to finally get at least one swing on Wally. The two cared for each other like no one could believe and they were great heroes in their own rights, but they were still a teen couple after all. So, as teen couples go, it wasn't unthinkable for them to let the littlest things get to them every once in a while.

It wasn't helped by the fact that Jenna already seemed to have a short temper that she was born with. More and more it showed as she kept trying to hit Wally, who seemed to get more competitive as the game went on. He focused less on having fun and more so on making sure Jenna didn't hit him. Jenna saw this determination on his face replace the smile he once had the last few times he would stop. It only made her want to hit him even more.

With all this tension building up, it was almost inevitable something would go wrong. When it did happen, it wasn't because Jenna actually managed to hit Wally. It wasn't because something accidentally got broken or anything like that. It wasn't because it erupted into an argument or anything like that. No, it all came to a head when Jenna ended up stubbing her toe against the couch. More specifically, she struck it against the hard bottom of the sofa, causing a lot of pain to swell up and make her tow throb.

"Ow!" Jenna cried out as she reached down for her foot. "Fucking ow! My toe! Geez, that smarts!"

Instantly Wally West stopped and looked on to see what had happened to make Jenna shout. At first he was mildly amused by the sight of his girlfriend hopping in place on one foot while holding the other in her hands. Once it registered in his mind what had happened, without using his powers, Wally ran up to Jenna's side to check her foot.

"Jenna, I'm sorry!" Wally said as he tried to see how bad her toe might've been. "I didn't mean for this to happen. Here let me look at it! Is it okay?!"

"I- I don't know," Jenna said in a _seemingly_ pain filled voice as Wally attentively examined her foot. "It's- I think it- _Bam!_ "

A big couch pillow came swatting into the face of Wally West with enough force to knock him on his backside.

"Ha, ha, _yes!_ " Jenna Ferlay cheered happily as she jumped up and pumped her fists in celebration. "I did it, I did it, I did it! I got you so good! Knocked you right on your ass! In your face!"

The whole time the pink haired girl celebrated and gloated, Wally just sat on the floor looking at her with an annoyed frown.

"No fair, you cheated!" Wally accused.

Jenna looked to him with mock shock as she gasped and put a hand to her chest. "I beg your pardon, but are you, Wally West, accusing me; dear, sweet, innocent Jenna Ferlay of something?!"

"Yes, I do believe I am," Wally snapped back, a small, begrudging smile on his face. "And for the record, if you're innocent, I'm Daffy Duck!"

"Why, I do believe I am being discriminated against because of my... _shady_ past." Jenna then made an overly dramatic pose, placing the back of one hand over her forehead as she looked up and stretched her other hand behind her. "Why must it always be so hard for an ex-villain in a hero's world?"

"Oh, you're not being discriminated against because you used to be a villain," Wally said. "You're being discriminated against because you cheat at pillow fights."

Jenna gasped again as she looked at Wally, trying hard not to laugh. "I do not cheat at pillow fights, Mr. uses his super speed to win everything," Jenna defended. "I really did hurt my toe... I just got over it fast because I'm a big girl."

"Are you sure about that?" Wally asked as he raised an eyebrow. "You sure we don't need to call the poor, wittle baby a _toe_ truck?"

"Why, you little brat!" Jenna said.

"The pot called the kettle black," Wally narrated as Jenna ran over and jumped on top of him.

Wally could've easily avoided his girlfriend's attempts to plow down on him... but he really didn't want to. The two sprawled out across the floor, both of them laughing as they playfully struggled against each other. It ended somewhat when Wally allowed Jenna to grab his arms and pin them down against the floor. Wally looked up into Jenna's eyes as she fluttered them in a rather seductive way. Finally she leaned down and started kissing Wally intimately, which he gladly leaned into while doing the same.

Jenna released Wally's wrists so he could wrap his arms around her, further adding to the intimacy of the moment. Both were starting to feel really hot under the collar. Wally was getting so into it, he was afraid he'd be done before it got started. Luckily (or very unluckily depending on how you look at it) Wally didn't have to worry much. Jenna pulled out of the make out session and looked down to her boyfriend with a questioning look.

"What?" Wally asked in between heavy breaths.

"I was just thinking, is there really anyway to cheat in a pillow fight? I mean, are there any set rules, pre-etablished laws, anything like that? My whole life I've just known you're suppose to hit somebody else with a pillow until either one of you surrenders or you make the room look like a chicken plucking plant. Also, if there are set rules, do you think they were written before people with superpowers were a thing?"

Wally's eyes widened in frustration. "Seriously, you interrupted what we were... _doing_ to ask that?"

"Aww," Jenna cooed mockingly. "Did I ruin your _big_ moment?"

"Well, I, uh-" Wally's cheeks started to turn a crimson color as he started feeling hot for a different reason. "I was just...sort of...really getting into it."

"That's not what it felt like from where I was," Jenna teased.

" _Hey!_ " Wally defensively exclaimed.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Jenna said before she started to pull herself up onto the couch. "I forgot you boys get all upset when your little situations get teased.

" _Men!_ " Wally insisted as he stood up. "And what do you mean 'little'?!"

"Wally, Wally, calm down," Jenna said as she raised her hands defensively. "I'm just teasing you again... _Kid_ Flash." She couldn't help but get one more little dig in, but she kind of ended up regretting it. "Guess I took it too far. I'm sorry."

Wally crossed his arms as he looked away, a pouty expression plastered on his face. However, he slowly looked back to Jenna and saw that she was flashing him her puppy dog eyes. He quickly looked away, but then looked back just as fast. Whenever Jenna used her eyes in just about anyway, Wally couldn't resist them. Seeing she had him drawn in, Jenna lowered her eyes into a more sultry gaze as a seductive smile crossed her face. She then patted the side of the couch next to her, signaling for Wally to join her.

He resisted for only a moment before giving in and sitting down alongside Jenna. As he sat down, Wally put his arm around his girlfriend while she leaned in to lay her head on his chest. The young couple were quiet for a few seconds before Jenna started to laugh a little bit, being soon joined by Wally. Neither of them knew exactly why they were laughing, but all that mattered to them was that they were doing it together. After a moment they both let out heavy sighs as they settled down and watched the old, black-and-white monster movie that was playing on the living room's TV.

The extra, extra large flat plasma screen had been playing a whole marathon of older horror and monster films for the past six hours. Sometimes Wally and Jenna would pay attention, but mostly it served just as background noise while they did several other things. They were enjoying the night and the fact that they were spending it together. No matter what they did together, it was almost guaranteed they'd have a good time because they were both getting to do it with the person they cared for the most. Wally and Jenna both turned to each other, not saying anything, instead just enjoying looking longingly at the person across from them.

"I gotta admit," Jenna said. "As far as stay at home date nights go, I don't think this could've gone any better."

"Totally," Wally said. "I mean, we've got snacks, all sorts of sugary drinks, and all kinds of other stuff bad for our teeth and our minds. We've been pillow fighting, laughing, teasing, going on and on all while we got silly old monster movies playing in the background. Plus, we've got the whole living room to ourselves."

"And we get to do in our PJs," Jenna said slyly.

"Yep...it's just about perfect," Wally said as he pulled Jenna even closer to him.

"It was a really great idea, Wally. Staying at home while everyone else ran off for a night on the town was pretty smart... That's what makes it so surprising that it actually came from you."

"Why you-" Wally said playfully as he pulled Jenna closer and leaned in on her.

"No!" Jenna screamed in between laughs.

The two's lips locked together as they struggled for a few moments. Soon they both relaxed and started getting all the more intimate with each other. Jenna laid back on the couch as Wally pulled out of their kiss. He looked down at his girl as she flashed him her eyes that she knew drove him crazy.

"I just thought of something else we could do tonight," Jenna said in a slightly seductive voice.

"I'm way ahead of you," Wally said, sounding a bit excited.

"I can tell this time," Jenna said. "Just try not to be _too_ fast this go-around, okay?"

Wally West ignored his girlfriend's jab and started to lean in closer to her. Unfortunately for them-

" _WALLY! JENNA! CODE RED!_ "

The two teens on the couch screamed at the top of their lungs as they jumped like startled cats. Both were sent tumbling to the floor, Wally banging his elbow against the side of the coffee table.

"Youch!" Wally cried out before rubbing his throbbing joint. "Now I know how you were feeling earlier, Jenna... What gives?!"

Wally and Jenna both sat up and looked to see their fellow Teen Titans running in from the living room's main entry way. The trio of newly arrived heroes all stopped in their tracks at the top of the five-set steps leading down to the couch when they saw Wally and Jenna. The teen couple were quickly starting to feel awkward by the way their teammates were staring at them and the state of the living room. They could practically feel their faces burning red as their hearts pounded while the unsettling and silent staring continued.

"Well..." the superhero called Argent finally let out. "It certainly looks like stuff was... _happening_ while we were gone."

Having light gray skin like Jinx's, the young, somewhat shorter hero had spiked, black hair with red bangs. Her sleeveless dress she wore was black up until her waist, where she had a red skirt with black stripes. She also wore long, black sleeves and black boots with a bit of red coloring on the bottom. Argent also had a small 'A' tattoo on her chest, and her eyes were red with black pupils.

"Looks like more stuff would've happened if we hadn't of come in," Hot Spot added on.

In his heated up form, Hot Spot had yellow and red skin, with white eyes, and appeared to be bald. His wrists and hands were also the same color, and whilst his uniform covers the rest of his body, it could be assumed that the rest of his skin is the same. His uniform consisted of a dark red one piece, with a big red collar.

"Certainly looks like a _hot_ time was going to be had by all involved... Even if it went by in a flash."

Argent put a hand over her mouth as she tried to stifle back her laughter.

"Oh, shut up," Jenna said to her teasing teammates.

"I actually agree," Wonder Girl, the leader of this team of Titans chimed in. "We don't have the time for this kind of stuff right now!"

Being the tallest of her team, it was often assumed that Donna Troy, she who would be Wonder Girl, was a young, teenage Amazon from the island of Themyscira. But in reality, her true origins were a mystery, even to Wonder Girl herself. She had long black hair and appeared to be quite physically fit, yet still alluring to the eyes of most guys and many girls. She often alternated between a red one piece costume with gold stars on it and a black one piece costume with space stars on it. However, she always wore her metal bracelets tough enough that they could easily deflect the bullets of a gun. Currently she was dressed in her black costume, which seemed to be fitting given the grim look on her face.

"Right, sorry," Argent said.

"Me, too," Hot Spot said. "Lost focus for a moment."

"Wally, Jenna, have either of you seen any of the recent news feeds?" Wonder Girl asked.

"Uh...no," Wally replied.

"We've been... _distracted_ with...other things," Jenna added.

"We can see that," Hot Spot said.

"Clearly," Argent added on.

"Focus, team!" Wonder Girls barked as she looked to the two behind her.

Argent and Hot Spot stood at attention, both of them looking a little taken aback by their leader's demeanor. But they quickly got over it, remembering all too well what was happening at that moment.

"Okay, everyone," Jenna proclaimed. "Why so serious?"

"Really," Wally agreed. "What's going on?"

Not wasting any words, Wonder Girl, along with Argent and Hot Spot made their way down to the couch. Wonder Girl picked up the remote and switched the channel on the TV over to a news broadcast.

"You'd better sit down or something for this, Wally," Argent warned.

Every Titan in the room stared at the big, wall sized screen intently. Wally's face instantly turned white as he felt his blood go cold. He looked almost like he was going to be be sick. Jenna gasped in horror and held her hands to her mouth.

"Oh, no!" Jenna exclaimed.

"It can't be," Wally barely managed to say.

On the screen was an overhead camera shot from a helicopter aided by a spotlight. At the top of a large building was some sort of large, futuristic-looking device that seemed very technologically complicated. Right next to it a yellow costumed figure stood above a crimson costumed figure who laid sprawled out. Both men's costumes looked beaten and tattered like they'd gone through hell. But the one in the red suit looked far more worst for ware. His suit wasn't the only red showing on him.

Wally West knew both figures very well, having been up close and personal with them many times, but for different reasons. The one standing in the yellow costume was none other than Eoabard Thawne, better known to the world as the terrible speeding super villain, Zoom. Laying before his feet was the battered and seemingly broken form of Wally's world famous uncle, the Flash: real name Barry Allen. Zoom and Flash had clashed a great many times over the years, being each other's sworn archenemies. All those times, Zoom had some sort of grand evil scheme that could do great harm to innocent people. That was something the Flash could never allow to happen.

Usually, Flash would always get the best of the situation and save the day. Unfortunately, this didn't appear to be one of those times. Clearly Zoom had Flash at the end of his rope. It seemed like whatever purpose the device behind the master villain served would be fulfilled.

The news text below the shot even read:

 **FLASH IS DOWN AND LOOKS TO BE OUT - IS THIS THE END OF CENTRAL CITY AND ITS GREATEST HERO?**

" _Again, people,_ _what we're showing you is live footage,_ "an older male news anchor's voice narrated. The picture on the TV would often switch between the live shots of the fight to the well dressed anchor at his news desk, and even a split screen shot of the two.

" _This is not pre-recorded and it did not happen a while ago. It's true, after years of the back and forth between these two speedsters in what seemed like a never ending battle of good vs. evil, evil may have finally triumphed. Your eyes are not deceiving you at all; in this live shot from our news chopper, Zoom seems to have finally managed to take down Central City's most beloved citizen. Try as hard as he might, giving it a hundred percent like he always does, it sadly seems like the Flash's super speedster days are numbered._ _While no one could see what actually happened during the fight because of how fast both individuals were going, it's clear from the aftermath it was a brutal brawl._

" _No doubt it was a true fight for the ages that left an impression on both combatants. Unfortunately it seems like Central City's greatest hero came out on the wrong end of the conflict! What makes the situation worse is that several of the Flash's most fiendish rogues were spotted in the surrounding area not too long before this bitter struggle began. No doubt they were all pulling their resources together in a final attempt to get rid of the greatest obstacle standing in the way of their evil schemes. With all these odds going against the scarlet speedster, there's no telling just how badly this could all turn out._

" _We're switching now to our reporter live at the scene in the chopper. Hopefully she can give more personal insight as to what's happening in the images seen here. Go ahead, Michelle. What can you tell us about all this?"_

" _George, there really are no words to truly describe what's happening right now,_ " a far more feminine voice said over the shots of Zoom standing over the fallen Flash. " _No one would've ever expected this to happen given how the great hero of Central City usually came out over Zoom in the past. Unfortunately it looks like the horrible villain's finally- Oh, my God!_ "

" _What's going on down there, Michelle?_ " George's voice chimed in.

" _George, it's horrible!_ " Michelle answered back. " _It appears as though it isn't enough for Zoom to have won the way he did. Now, he has resumed beating on the Flash even though it's already clear he's done for! He looks to be taking his time this go-around, giving us here in the chopper a good view of the horribly brutal blows he's delivering-_ "

The reporter's words and all other sounds became distant to Wally as he looked at the terrible beating the psychotic Zoom was giving his uncle. Even from as far away as the chopper's camera was, Wally clearly saw the sadistic joy it brought Thawne to wail on Barry Allen. To say it was heart wrenching and even soul crushing for Wally West would be an understatement.

"Oh, my God," Jenna just barely managed to let out.

"This- this is too much," Argent said as she looked on in horror.

"No doubt," Hot Spot agreed, sounding and looking just as shaken.

 _I don't believe it,_ Wally thought to himself. _This is impossible. How could Eobard have gotten the best of Barry? There's just no way in hell... Somebody's got to do something._

 _Barry needs help... He needs_ my _help... I have to do something._

"WHOA!" the other Titans all exclaimed.

Wally looked to see that Zoom had been stopped by a stiff shot right where the sun don't shine, courtesy of the Flash. The other Titans all started to cheer and whoop before shouting words of encouragement for Flash to get up. Of course, he couldn't actually hear them because the Titans were only watching the fight on TV, but they didn't care. They were caught up in the moment, almost like they were watching a big sports event.

"Looks like ol' red ain't out of the fight just yet after all!" Hot Spot exclaimed.

"Don't let that punk, Zoom keep you down, Flash!" Wonder Girl said as she raised a fist.

Jenna looked over to Wally, her smile instantly fading when she saw how shaken he still was. She walked over to her boyfriend and put a supportive hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Wally, I'm sure everything's going to work out for the best. You've said before how Flash and you have come up against bad odds and they worked out before. I mean, he's the fastest man alive. If anyone can find a way out of this, he ca-"

Jenna was cut off by a large gust of wind that suddenly filled the room. It caught the other Titans off guard as well, making most of them let out short screams. But then the unusual gust of wind subsided almost as fast as it came. The sudden calm allowed the Titans to see they were short a team member.

"Wally!" Jenna exclaimed as she reached out a hand with a look of surprise on her face.

She quickly lowered her hand and stood there unsure of what to do. No one even bothered to try and figure out what happened. They all knew Wally was running and exactly where he was running to. Jenna looked to the TV again, which showed Zoom and Flash struggling against each other. Both of them looked like they were just about out of juice.

"Please be carefully, Wally," Jenna said, the worried tone in her voice matching her face as she felt the supportive hands of her fellow Titans touch her shoulders.

* * *

Wally West was already miles away from Granite Falls and fully dressed in his superhero suit despite only a few seconds having past by since he left his team's tower. His suit was colored yellow for the upper body, but red for the lower with a red lightning bolt insignia on his chest. He wore red gloves, yellow boots, and a yellow mask with red lightning bolts sticking out on the sides. It was also cut off at the top, putting Wally's spiky styled hair freely on display. This suit was a gift given to him by his uncle several years ago when Barry decided to take him as a sidekick. Wally West has proudly worn it since, having it on display every time he's gone to fight crime as the superhero known as Kid Flash.

Currently, he was running off on what he considered the most important mission he'd ever been on. Of all the things he did whether it was at Flash's side, as a solo hero, or a part of the Teen Titans, this was the big one to Kid Flash. He was going off to save one of the most important figures in his life, if not _the_ most important. Kid Flash was off to save _the_ Flash, his uncle, his friend, and his father figure in a lot of ways. Flash was all these things and more, including a true blue hero, especially to the people of Central City.

That was one of many reasons why it was so hard to believe Zoom, despite the menace he was, had gotten the best of Flash. It just didn't seem like it could happen, especially not after so many times when the Flash bested him. But regardless of how possible it could be or how it could've happened, the point was that it did, which meant Flash needed all the help he could get. That was the thing that truly mattered the most to Kid Flash as he kept running. While the lives of every citizen in the surrounding city was a big priority, a default for a superhero, Wally was somewhat selfishly concerned about his uncle most of all.

He'd never admit it out loud, but a part of him felt like maybe Barry was the only life that mattered to him at that point. Kid Flash tried to put this conflict out of his mind, though there were many other worries and stressing thoughts to fill the void as he continued to run. He kept pushing himself to go faster and faster until he reached the absolute peak of his speed. Despite that, despite him being one of the fastest super speedsters there was, the run from Granite Falls to Central City felt like it took a lifetime. Of course, in reality, it didn't take him very long to get there at all.

In fact, he was in Central City in less than fifteen minutes. A run like that from New York to Missouri surely would've broken some sort of all-time speed record. That is, if not for the fact four other speedsters made that same run many times before and in faster time. But that didn't matter to Kid Flash at all, for his mind was keeping on track of what his biggest goal was, the very reason he had returned to Central City. Kid Flash stopped for a moment to get his barrings, seeing he was in exactly the place he'd intended to go, the place he needed to be. He had ran into what was by far the slummiest, slimiest, most out right sludgy place in the whole city.

But as he looked around, Kid Flash couldn't help but notice this particular area he stopped in looked even more trashed than usual. That was especially saying something given how far gone this part of Central City already was. But it now looked like a war zone, as though armies had actually done battle here. _They did say on the TV that there were other bad guys here before_ , Kid Flash thought to himself. _I wonder if Barry had any backup with him that helped take care of them._

For the most part, Central City was a very nice looking town that seemed like a place anyone would want to live. However, there was a specific part of it that seemed like it was always built for the worst of the worst. Besides looking like a bad place to be, it was infested with all sorts of crime and felons. From lowly common crooks to big time criminal masterminds, from street thugs to super villains, this spot had it all. Many had given this part of Central City the unofficial name of the "crime district" and the name has since stuck despite many efforts to try and change that.

Kid Flash knew to come here directly since Zoom, like many other criminals, frequented the spot as a place lay low or hide out while working on a villainous scheme. Plus, Wally had instantly recognized the building Zoom, the Flash, and the machine had been on top of despite the odd angle on the TV he was watching. Zoom had used this same building in three or four different evil plots before, two of which seemed like they were the same plan done twice.

 _You're becoming predictable, Thawne,_ Kid Flash thought to himself. _Or are you just desperate?... Is there something particularly special about that building to you that I don't know about? If so, does anyone else know what it might be...like my uncle, maybe?_

All these thoughts and more ran through Wally's head as he looked up at the building Zoom and Flash were battling on top of. The news chopper was still there flashing its spotlight on the scene, as were several other choppers, both news and police. But the top of the building was way too high up for Wally to see what was actually happening from the street. _I don't need to see it to know Uncle Barry still needs my help. I've got to get up there quick, flash, and in a hurry._

Before he could start running, however, the monstrous screams or a large, beastly thing enveloped the air. It was accompanied by the sound of a large object being thrown through the air. Kid Flash turned and saw that the large object was actually a volkswagen jetta.

"Yikes!" Kid Flash ran at top speed and easily avoided the incoming 2'888 pounds of metal.

Despite being used to the accelerated rate of his heartbeat, it felt particularly heavy in his chest after that. _Probably an adrenaline rush._ Kid Flash looked to see he didn't have time to think about that or much else. A large figure rushed up at Kid Flash releasing another monstrous cry just like the one from before. Kid Flash ran to the side, easily dodging the freak of nature's fists as the monster try to swing them down on him.

The beastly hybrid swung at Kid Flash several more times, both with closed fists and bared claws in futile attempts to strike him. The young speedster easily dodged every single blow thrown his way. He was moving faster than most untrained eyes could see, his speed being twice that of rounds fired from a ShKAS machine gun. Because of how effectively Kid Flash was able to dodge his monstrous foe's attacks, the exchange lasted only a few seconds before the assailant ceased his assault. Then Kid Flash came to a stop hunched over with a fist on the ground as he held his other hand readily at his side.

Kid Flash then looked to see that his suspicions of the assailant's identity were correct. _Hard to mistake_ that fishy _smell._

The reason for such a particular stench was because towering over the junior speedster was the monstrous beast from the deep, King Shark. Standing over nine feet tall, this towering beast of terror's origins were a mystery still debated by many. The creature resembling a humanoid great white shark claimed to be the son of a strange deity known as the Shark God. But many still doubted this claim, calling it superstitious nonsense and theorizing he was merely a mutated meta-human like so many other super powered beings. Whatever his true past may be, it didn't change the fact that the monster-like villain was a force to be reckoned with, having being a large obstacle for many heroes in the past.

Despite knowing how much faster he was, Wally West couldn't keep a tiny shiver of fear from running down his spine as he gazed at the terrifying sight of his imposing adversary. He did his best not to let any of that fear show, though, be it through his body language or his facial expression.

"Didn't you hear the _Deadliest Catch_ reunion has been cancelled?" Kid Flash quipped. "They said it was because they couldn't stand the smell. Said there was something fishy about it... Oh, also they just didn't like looking at your face either. Seriously, did Jaws just get really wasted and go into a back alley with Meg Mucklebones? I'll bet he woke up the next day and spewed his guts out when he realized what he did, especially when he knew she was gonna have you."

King Shark roared in anger as he lunged for Kid Flash, who easily ran off to the side. Despite knowing he could keep out of his foe's grip, Wally still felt like his heart was in his throat. _Oh, yeah, that's the_ _old adrenaline pumping for sure... Probably because I'm scared shitless._

Kid Flash had to dodge out of the way a few more times, which irritated the sharp toothed abomination called King Shark to no end.

"Why do you continue to run, boy?!" King Shark growled out in his unnatural, animalistic voice. "Are you afraid you are not enough to face me head on like the real Flash? Or do you feel that you will always be the _kid_ of the two?"

"No, no, no, no," Kid Flash protested. "That's not how this works. You're the fish, I'm the man. That means I bait you and reel you in."

"You look like you're about a man short for the job!" King Shark shot back.

"Watch the worm," Kid Flash said as he wiggled his fingers. "And no, I don't mean look down, you gimpy guppy."

King Shark roared out as he slashed his claws at Kid Flash before leaning in to try and bite him. Of course, Kid Flash got out of the way of each attempted strike unharmed, but he changed it up a little. Rather than just run away, the junior speedster decided to go on the offensive. He ran over to a nearby manhole and pulled off its cover. He spun around a few times at tremendous speed before releasing the metal circle and letting it go flying like a frisbee.

The manhole cover hit King Shark in the side, making him cry out in pain. Despite his tough, augmented skin, it still felt like the piece of heavy metal was just short of cutting through him because of how fast Kid Flash had thrown it at him. But King Shark quickly recovered before turning to Kid Flash and gazing at him like a juicy piece of steak.

"I find it surprising you're spending your time down here with me," King Shark said before a wicked smile crossed his face. "I would've thought you'd be on your way up to save your doomed superior by now rather than wasting your time throwing petty little insults my way."

The smile on Kid Flash's face instantly faded, his body language changing as he felt himself nearly go limp. The shark-like freak's words seemed to pierce him like a harpoon, they felt so heavy handed. Several thoughts raced through Kid Flash's head before he looked back up at the top of the building where Zoom, his device, and the Flash were. There were still several news choppers flying around it, as there were police helicopters. Surrounding the building were all sorts of policemen from standard cops to S.W.A.T. members to riot control and everything in between.

Kid Flash had seen them all over the crime district before while running. It looked like neither they, nor the machinery they brought with them to help in the fight fared that well against the Rogues. _They can't stop this... Only me and the Flash can... I've got to get up there so I can help Barry put an end to this._

Kid Flash looked to King Shark. "You know what, you're right! I can't be down here wasting my time with a guppy like you! I've got a friend and a city that's in desperate need of help. Both deserve my attention way more than you do, so _adios_ , Manimal!"

"Oh, sure," King shark growled back. "Just go ahead and run off and leave me here!... But I can't guarantee that idea will work out well for any other poor sap I might find on the street."

Kid Flash couldn't even begin to take a step before King Shark's words reached his ears. He looked to the monstrous freak of nature in horror. "You said what?"

"That's right," King Shark gloated with a big, shark toothed grin. "A shark's gotta eat. That's the first thing we're programmed to do at birth. So, if I can't sink my teeth into your flesh, who's to say I won't go looking for any other prey?"

"You wouldn't!"

"Try me!" King Shark spat as his eyes lowered threateningly. "I promise that if you go, I'll hunt someone else... So, what's it gonna be, Kid Flash? Or should I say, 'my midnight snack'?"

Kid Flash was caught between a rock and a hard place and that's exactly how it felt. He knew his speed could only take him so far. He could never match the super strength King Shark possessed. A physical confrontation would prove fruitless, so from that line of thinking it made more sense to go help Flash. But thinking about King Shark's threat and how genuine it seemed put images in Wally's head of what he could and probably would do to any innocent bystanders. Kid Flash had a tough choice to make and it was eating at his mind trying to decide what to do.

The mental anguish was clear to see as Kid Flash winced painfully and grabbed at the sides of his head.

"Aw," King Shark let out mockingly. "Looks like Baby Flash can't make up his mind. Don't worry, I'll help make the decision for you. Just stand there and let me devour you!"

King Shark roared out before he started to stomp towards Kid Flash with his hands raised high. Wally's eyes widened as he saw the form of the monster shark coming at him. But then, all of a sudden, a sound filled the air as a flash of blue light appeared from behind King Shark. It made Kid Flash cover his eyes and look away. However, he uncovered them and looked back when the sound was replaced by King Shark's screaming.

He saw that the monster was flailing around wildly, clawing at a fresh patch of ice was covering nearly his entire back. This sent a jolt through Kid Flash, for he knew who the culprit was most likely to be. He suspicions were confirmed when a man wearing mostly blue, including a parka jacket with a big, furry and puffy collar, ran up. He also wore some modified visors along with black gloves and a type of back pack-like device. There was a small tube going from the device into a futuristic-looking gun currently in a holster attached to the side of the pack.

Leonard Snart, given the villain code name of Captain Cold had arrived on the scene. Rather than continue to use his cold gun like he did before, Snart decided to resort to other methods. He ran up and swung a long, thick, rusted pipe into King Shark's face, making him scream out again. It wasn't enough to drop him, however, which made Cold look to Kid Flash.

"Catch, kid!" the felon screamed as he tossed the pipe.

Kid Flash caught the object and looked at it in confusion before turning his gaze back to Leonard Snart.

"Don't just stand there with your mouth hanging open, kid!" Captain Cold berated. "You'd better know how to swing that thing and swing it good!"

"Traitor!" King Shark cried as he lunged for who he had previously thought was his teammate.

Snart reached for his gun, but was stopped when Kid Flash rushed up and swung the pipe up into King Shark's face. He swung it a few more times at a rapid pace before tossing it aside and throwing massive bodyshots into King Shark's sides. After a bit, Kid Flash stopped throwing his super fast punches and jumped up as he kicked his feet into King Shark's mangled face. This sent the super villain off his feet and to the ground with a loud thud. Both Kid Flash and Captain Cold stood ready for whatever may happen next.

After a second or two, they realized King Shark wouldn't be doing much of anything. He'd seemingly been knocked out from the assault he took. They could see his chest heaving, so they knew he wasn't dead.

" _Ow!_ " Kid Flash exclaimed as he watched his fists throb painfully.

"That's why I gave you the pipe," Captain Cold said.

The two then turned back to King Shark. "Wouldn't this be a good time for you to say he's out cold?" Kid Flash asked as he kept looking on at the monster.

"Do I look like a one liner spewing Arnold Schwarzenegger to you?" Captain Cold asked in annoyance.

"No, he actually looks like he could get a date," Kid Flash snapped back.

Suddenly a new sense of urgency filled the junior speedster as he stopped and looked to who was a known archenemy of the Flash. He took a fighting stance as Captain Cold turned his sights on Kid Flash and raised his freezing gun.

"Really?!" Captain Cold asked in irritation.

"What are you doing here, Snart?!" Kid Flash demanded. "Why did you help me?! Why did King Shark call you a traitor?!"

"God dammit, kid, you need to sort out your priorities," Cold said with much snark in his voice. He then looked up to the top of the building that was the focus of the hour. "Red needs a lot of help and, despite how sad it might sound, you're the only one who can give it to him right now. So, if I were you, I'd stop threatening to fight the guy who saved your little ass and get up to help someone who actually needs you."

"I... I..."

"Quit your stammering and just get out of here so you can help red!" Captain Cold berated.

"But... why are you doing this?" Kid Flash asked.

Captain Cold hesitated for a moment before turning back to the building where the big stuff was happening. "No one or nothing takes out the Flash. Not unless it's Cold." The super villain then turned back to Kid Flash. "You get me, kid?"

"Uh...I...think so."

"Good, then get the hell out of here and help the old man already."

"Right! But for the record, he's not actually my old man."

"What difference does-?!"

Captain Cold was cut off by what sounded like the rumbling of thunder in the air. Both men turned to where it sounded like the rumbling originated from, that being the top of the building. They saw an orb of red and yellow lightning crackling all over the building top as a bright flash of white light lit up the night. Despite how faraway the light was and the added protection of Snart's modified glasses, the light was so bright it forced both Kid Flash and Captain Cold to look away.

" _What's going on?!_ " Captain Cold shouted over the growing whirring sound in the air.

" _I was hoping you could tell me!_ " Kid Flash shouted back.

" _Zoom wasn't kind enough to impart that info on me or anyone else!_ "

Suddenly the whirring grew so loud and the light got so bright, they drowned out everything else. It seemed almost like everyone in the crime district would never be able to see or hear anything ever again. Both the sound and light were incredibly overwhelming.

" _Looks like this is it!_ " Kid Flash shouted.

But then, five seconds later, both the sound and the light seemed to completely disappear just as suddenly and randomly as when they first showed up. It took a few more moments before either Kid Flash or Captain Cold realized they were gone. When they did, though, both of them looked to each other in confusion before turning back to the building. Not wasting any more words with Captain Cold, Kid Flash rushed up to the top of the rundown complex as fast as he could. Unfortunately, when he got there, Kid Flash found that his fastest wasn't fast enough.

The sight was a like blow to the stomach for Wally West. Whatever the contraption was that Zoom had set up, it had completely disappeared, seemingly taking Zoom and the Flash along with it. "No," Wally let out as he looked around.

He didn't even notice the spotlights from the helicopters above or the voices over those same choppers' PA systems trying to talk to him. Right now, all he could think about was the implications of what he was seeing. It seemed to imply that Zoom and the Flash were both gone without any sort of trace. But at that moment Wally couldn't of cared less about the evil speedster. For the most part, Wally's thoughts were solely on his uncle.

 _What could've happened? Did Barry just beat him and run him to the authorities? If that's so, what happened to the machine? Even he couldn't of dealt with it that fast when he has Zoom to deal with. So what could've happened?!_

A chill ran down Wally's spine as a dark thought crept into his brain.

"No," Wally let out between heavy breaths as he shook his head. "No, that can't be! I- He- Wha- What happened?!"

Wally felt like his heart was going to burst out of his chest, it was beating so fast and so heavily. "No! Barry can't be gone! There has to be another explanation! They'll all see when he shows up again!

"He's gonna pop back up and show everyone it's all okay! Central City's safe and it still has its Flash... But then where is he?! Where's the Flash?!... _Where are you, Barry?!_ "

* * *

 **Well, here it is, the first step of a new journey and one I am most excited to take.**

 **A few more things**

 **1\. I only put the prologue and first chapter together because this site doesn't have a spot exclusively for the prologue and I wanted the numbering of the chapter and the site to sync up. Ergo, chapter 1 is in the number 1 section for the story's chapters. Also, the first chapter was suppose to be the prologue, but it ran a little too long, so I made up the new prologue and added it in.**

 **2\. There will be no more Author's notes from me going forward, except for when this story reaches its end. I wanted the word count on this story to match as much with the actual story content as possible, so no more long winded author's notes after this one.**

 **3\. Please feel free to review after reading every chapter. I highly encourage it. Please say anything you want so long as it is respectful. Even if it's criticisms, please keep them constructive. Beyond that, say all you want.**

 **I'm the Writer of the Storm, signing off.**


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